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MSU: Once More Into The Breach

Well Waded, here we are again with a new story that’ll cause you to put on your dancing shoes to show us all how well you can tip toe around yet another ‘donation’ for MSU. Take a quick trip back to May of this year (which people like Waded and the Regents always hope you won’t) to remember the ‘agony’ by all those involved in the decision to allow gubernatorial candidate Greg Gianforte to buy a building and continue down a path of self promotion. Now fast forward and exchange Gianforte for Koch to find a similar dilemma, or worse.

The story isn’t anything new. It was reported shortly after the building drama that MSU had applied for a grant from none other than the anti government and anti public service Koch Brothers: the founders of Americans for Prosperity and the funders of Citizens United. The Bozeman Daily Chronicle posted a blip on the radar story that MSU had landed the 5.7 million dollar grant from Charles Koch which could create a ‘research center’ to study impacts of government policies and regulations on society. Unbiased of course. After all, why would the Koch brothers ever attach any strings to their money?

The question may be obvious, but should be asked: what’s the problem? It’s just grant money and grant money has been floating around for a long time now. In fact, we find ourselves in an era where funding for public education becomes more scarce each year. (Hmmm, lack of funding. Greater activity by ultra conservative groups like those funded by the Koch Brothers. Could there be a connection?) Commissioner Clay Christian espoused the dire need to scour the earth for other sources of funding while excusing away the ethical and moral tentacles that extended from the Gianforte building monster.

In less than a month the Regents will again debate whether or not to accept money and this time, the dirtiest of money, Koch Brother money. During their discussion regarding the Gianforte ‘donation’ each regent expressed the great consternation and deep angst of the decision to be made. In the end they, of course, voted to approve the acceptance of the donation. They will very soon find themselves facing the real test of whether they put their sorrowful words into action or if they put Koch money where their mouths are instead.